


Stealing a Champion's Heart: For Dummies

by QueenoftheVoid



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Bede deserves love, DressedinPinkShipping, F/M, Leon thinks he's a lot smoother than he actually is, Raihan's a playboy, and Piers is too much of a romantic, bederia, everyone just wants Gloria and Bede to be happy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:22:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21946531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenoftheVoid/pseuds/QueenoftheVoid
Summary: It’s not very him; asking for help. He’s not necessarily above it or anything, he knows that now. He’s just used to having to prove himself singlehandedly his whole life.It’s just that it occurred to Bede one day, as he was looking down at a magazine one of the fairy trainers at the gym had shown him - emblazoned on the front cover with a picture of one of his rare league cards and a headline that had annoyingly named him ‘Galar’s biggest heartthrob gym leader’ – that he had absolutely no experience in the dating department.It totally doesn’t occur as a result of any feelings he may or may not have developed towards a certain champion. Nope.
Relationships: Beet | Bede/Yuuri | Gloria
Comments: 13
Kudos: 156





	1. Wine 'n' Dine 'Em

He doesn’t know how he finds himself taking dating advice from his colleagues, of all people.  
It’s not very him; asking for help. He’s not necessarily above it or anything, he knows that now. Though he's still used to having to prove himself singlehandedly, as he's done his whole life.

  
It’s just that it occurred to Bede one day, as he was looking down at a magazine one of the fairy trainers at the gym had shown him - emblazoned on the front cover with a picture of one of his rare league cards and a headline that had annoyingly named him ‘Galar’s biggest heartthrob gym leader’ – that he had absolutely no experience in the dating department.

  
It totally doesn’t occur as a result of any feelings he may or may not have developed towards a certain champion. Nope.  
Look, in Bede’s defence. His usual approach was to just bottle everything up and shove his feelings deep, deep down and never speak or even breathe a word of it to anyone. Just keep everything inside, and then one day, he’ll die. Easy!

  
But nothing in his life has ever just been simple and easy, has it?

  
It all starts one night at dinner with the other gym leaders.

  
Weekly dinners with the others had sort of become a thing, about a year after Bede became the official fairy gym leader. Leon had long since stepped down from his position as champion but was determined to keep in touch with the other gym leaders as well as the new additions; Gloria, Marnie and Bede himself. So, the occasional group gym leader hangout became common. It was admittedly difficult to get every gym leader in the region in one place without attracting a lot of media attention, however. Hence why they had rented out half the hotel restaurant in Circhester and were currently enjoying a nice warm dinner together as a group.

  
Bede would usually sit these gatherings out. But it was Gloria that had made it a point to show up at his new house in Ballonlea and personally ‘escort’ him tonight. But somehow despite this, the fairy gym leader found himself sitting four seats away from the champion – the only person around here he really had any interest in speaking to – and instead on the end of the table across from the now ex-champion Leon and next to Raihan, who was currently flirting nonchalantly with the waitress pouring their wine.  
Before he could hold himself back from it, his boredom pushed Bede to ask Raihan about his dating life, about how he managed to always score with women he was interested in.

  
“Ah, have your eye on someone eh? You come to big brother Raihan for some tips and tricks?”  
“Don’t read too much into it, I’m just curious. You seem to have a consistent success rate with impressing women, what’s your secret?”  
“The secret?” Raihan winks at the waitress serving him and she giggles to herself as she walks away, he picks up the wine glass she just poured for him “bottle service, bro.”  
“Bottle service?”  
“Women dig it when you’re willing to splurge on them. Take her out somewhere nice, dress up all fancy, wine ‘n’ dine her!” A pause, and then his pointy teeth bared themselves into a shit-eating grin. “I’m sure a small-town girl like Gloria would be pretty impressed with a nice dinner and a swanky night out”  
“Wha- I never said- “  
“Raihan, please don’t ever use the word ‘swanky’ ever again.” Leon piped up from across the table.

  
Bede tried not to look too worried at the revelation that Leon had overheard their whole conversation and instead focused on protesting that no, he was not asking him for dating advice regarding Gloria – or anyone in particular, for that matter – he was just curious. It’s not like he had already started mentally listing all the restaurants in Wyndon he remembered her saying she wanted to try.

  
He didn’t even have many fancy clothes…though he does remember seeing a suit or two in the Ballonlea theatre’s costume closet…  
No siree. Not him. He wasn’t thinking of dating.

  
Not when he was too busy trying to calculate how much of his sponsorship money it would cost to book a table at that seafood place in Hulburry Gloria wouldn’t shut up about…

_Wait. No! stop it, Bede!_

“Uh huh, sure.” The man next to him snapped him out of his thoughts. “Just remember dude, bottle service.”  
“I can’t believe you’re trying to tell him stuff like that actually works, Rai.” The ex-champion butt in again. Raihan leaned back and slung his arm over the back of his chair.  
“Alright, what’s your play then?”  
“Easy,” Leon leaned in, like he was about to spill his biggest secret, and Bede found himself subconsciously leaning in as well, like he actually wanted to hear it, “it’s all in the smoulder.”

Raihan burst out laughing before Bede could even register it.  
“What are you on about, Lee?”  
“I’m not kidding, it works! 100% affective on women! Well, actually it’s never worked on Sonia, but I swear she’s part demon anyway so at the very least it’s 99% affective. Gets them every time. Mostly. Obviously if they aren’t actually into guys it wouldn’t really work. But I swear! 90% effective on straight women! Champion’s honour!”  
“But you aren’t champion anymore…” Bede pointed out.  
The Hammerlocke gym leader stifled any further laughter and mocked interest, propping his chin in his hand and leaning on the table with his elbow. “I’ve never heard of this famous smoulder before, please do give us a preview, oh Great Dating Guru Leon.”

As if perfectly timed, another waitress had arrived with some dessert menus for the table. Leon gestured silently to himself as if to say ‘watch me’ before turning to take a menu for himself. He held the menu aloft for a second before speaking.  
“Thank you so much,” and that’s when Bede saw it. His eyebrow crocked up and his mouth pulled into a sultry smirk as he tilted his chin ever so slightly to the left and pulled a face so smooth even Bede blushed a little.  
“… _I’m dying for something sweet_.”

  
It was super effective. The waitress nearly dropped her stack of menus, “I…ah…oh my…” and started giggling nervously while hiding her smile behind one. Bede could almost actually see the hearts in her eyes as she backed away. But before Leon’s weirdly successful smoulder could melt into a smug grin aimed at Raihan, the waitress crashed into a cart carrying dirty dishes behind her and fell over.  
“Oh my gosh are you okay!?” Leon was panickily rising from his seat and helping her before she could even reply, all his suaveness out the window as he apologised profusely for distracting her.  
Raihan sipped his wine and winked at Bede. “Bottle service, my friend. It’s the only way.”


	2. Hey Now, You’re an All Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bede doesn't like karaoke bars. Gordie LOVES them. Piers and Marnie are just trying to help.

_“someBODY ONCE TOLD ME THE WORLD WAS GONNA ROLL ME-“  
  
_A collective groan from the company around him almost matched Gordie’s singing in volume, but he still managed to drown out the protests as he practically screamed into the microphone. From the way everyone carried on with their conversations and drinking, Bede surmised that whoever had recommended karaoke for their monthly excursion was probably regretting it by now.

“I AIN’T THE SHARPEST TOOL IN THE SHE-ED…”

Bede somehow drowned out the singing in order to try and continue the conversation he had been having with Gloria – something about planning a dynamax raid with Marnie and Hop – when Nessa, coming out of nowhere, slid into the booth they were sitting in, looped her arm around the champion’s and dragged her away to go choose a song to duet. But Bede wasn’t alone for long. The Spikemuth siblings took that opportunity to take a seat on either side of him.

Piers had sidled up to him, crossing his arms and nodding along to the song despite Gordie’s Arceus-awful pitch and tone. Without even so much as a greeting or even making eye contact with Bede, he spoke.

“There are a fair few love ballads on the song list if you’re looking for a big declaration, you know.”

“What exactly are you on about?”

“It’d be easier to show her how you feel if you _show_ her how you feel, y’know?”

He’d finished his sentence just as Gordie had started headbanging on the small stage.

_“HEY NOW, YOU’RE AN ALL STAR-“_

“I don’t quite understand.” Bede replied, holding in any growing frustration.

The ex-gym leader still hadn’t even turned to face him, but leaned in closer, nonetheless. “I’m just saying, I often find that the things we can’t express with words are easier said through the medium of song.”

Bede had once thought that, other than Gloria and perhaps Marnie, Piers was one of the few people here that he could actually get along with. That he wouldn’t mind befriending or training with, even. That sentiment was gradually fading with every dumb metaphor that was spilling from his mouth right now.

Marnie, who had been sitting next to them in the booth, piped up from looking at her rotom phone. “He’s saying you should serenade Gloria as a way of confessing your feelings.”

“W-what?”  
Piers nodded, finally turning to face the two younger trainers. “I can help you write a song yourself to make it seem more personal, if you’d like. Stop by my place anytime. I love a good song-writing sesh.”

“Ooh yes you should!” Marnie joined in, “I don’t think you’ve been to our town since the gym challenge years ago, Bede. It’s about time you visited.”

“Think about it.” Piers continues.  
  
“I will most certainly not be writing a song for the champion, thank you very much.” Bede gets up to leave, not wanting either sibling to notice how red his face had gotten.

“AND AAAALLL THAT GLITTERS IS GOOOOLD, ONLY SHOOTIN’ STARS BREAK THE MOOOOUUUUULD.”

Gordie’s epic ballad finally comes to a close with the most epic of hair flips, as Bede makes his way to a corner where he can stew in his own feelings by himself.

The guitar riff from Gordie’s song began to melt into a soft piano, and Nessa and Gloria sauntered up on stage together. Bede didn’t know this song, and it was quite clear that Gloria was no amazing singer, but he still found himself unable to look away. The soft lighting on the small stage in the room they had rented out highlighted the blush she always got on her cheeks whenever she did anything in front of a group of people. It was so… _cute_. That blush complimented the colour of the dress she was wearing tonight. _Pink_. _Miss Opal would approve._ It was an off-the-shoulder number that was snug around her waist and showed off her smooth collarbone-

Bede shook his head, like he was trying to physically prevent his mind from wandering any further.

He wasn’t falling for her. He was simply impressed with her…with her _aesthetic_. Yes, this didn’t have anything to do with how hypnotically her skirt swished around her long, smooth-looking legs.

_I am NOT attracted to Gloria! I don’t like her like that!_ He mentally yells at himself. He makes his way to the door and exits the karaoke bar without saying goodbye to anyone. A small voice at the back of his head that eerily sounds like Miss Opal chastises him for being rude, but he drowns it out with reminders that no, he doesn’t like the champion in that way. He _doesn’t_.

She was clingy! Yeah, she would come running to him at Mach 5 speed and hug him with all the force of being hit by a Snorlax whenever they met and sure, her hugs were actually really nice and yeah maybe having her cling to his arm as they spent the afternoon strolling through the Glimwood Tangle made his stomach flutter but…

but she was also annoying! Really annoying and goofy, she’d sing random songs at random moments in time and ask him stupid questions about his favourite curry flavour or opinions on the most effective type-matchups as if she actually valued his opinon or something. She’d skip through the forest without a care in the world even though she could get ambushed at any point and, admittedly, it was pretty cute when his Sylveon decided to join her excitedly as she skipped and it was really sweet when she’d bond with his Hatterene when they’d set up camp together, and he won’t lie, no one ever seems to make his favourite curry the same way she does but…but…!!!

It occurs to him as he lies face-down on his bed at three in the morning, surrounded by crumpled up pieces of paper with discarded song lyrics and poetry written on them, that he may or may not have romantic feelings for Gloria.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like this, this isn't my first fanfic, but it IS my first pokemon one, as well as my first time posting on this site so bear with me. This fic is just a result of being on a discord server with other Bede enthusiasts.


End file.
